Food and drink industry veteran Joe Gailani has taken on the role and has been tasked with driving the next phase of the company’s growth in the British Isles.
Leading the brand’s sales strategy across the UK and Ireland, his remit will also focus on deepening Yakult’s relationships with retailers and broadening distribution across key regional channels.
Gailani joins the Tokyo-based firm from specialty and fine food wholesaler Cotswold Fayre. He previously held senior commercial roles at Bonraw Foods and Unilever, with experience spanning health, wellness, plant-based and functional foods.
He has also developed experience securing listings and building partnerships with major UK retailers including Waitrose, Morrisons, Ocado, Asda and Holland & Barrett.
Alongside his commercial remit, Gailani will work closely with Yakult Europe’s new research and development (R&D) team to support future product development.
“Yakult has incredibly strong foundations, with a heritage stretching back more than 90 years globally and 30 years in the UK. What really attracted me to the business was the strength of the brand and the opportunity that still exists to build on that,” said Gailani.
“As consumer awareness and interest in gut health continues to grow, Yakult is well-placed to translate its longstanding expertise and research in the category into further opportunity.”
He continued: “My focus is on translating that brand strength into further commercial growth by deepening customer relationships and working closely with our retail partners to ensure we are responding to their priorities and supporting sustainable growth.”
In his nearly two-decade-long career, he has built and scaled food and drink brands, with expertise spanning national accounts, commercial strategy, customer development and channel growth across retail, wholesale, foodservice and e-commerce.
Gailani’s appointment follows the arrival of Shinji Yamaguchi as Yakult’s new UK and Ireland managing director earlier this summer.
Yamaguchi said: “Joe brings a breadth of commercial experience that is highly relevant to our ambitions in the UK and Ireland, particularly across national accounts, channel development and strategic customer partnerships.
“His appointment strengthens our commercial leadership as we continue to invest in the market. Joe’s ability to combine customer insight with a clear growth mindset will be important as we deepen partnerships, develop new routes to market and build on Yakult’s long-term ambitions in the UK and Ireland.”
